About

Carie Garrett, Yoga Instructor 

Carie Garrett is a senior teacher of Los Angeles-based yoga master Erich Schiffmann. Since 2001 she has worked extensively with Schiffmann as his apprentice and teaching assistant at workshops, retreats, and teacher trainings throughout the country. Carie teaches a fluid and creative practice based on inner listening, self-trust, and intuitive alignment. Her unique teaching style weaves together a love of innovative movement from a dance background and a strong knowledge of anatomy and kinesiology from 25 years as a group exercise instructor. Her classes are spontaneous, fun, outside the box, and reflect her passion and real-life experiences of living the yoga in the world on a daily basis. Carie teaches drop-in classes, series along with some workshops. She also offers workshops and retreats both state and nation-wide. For more information, visit: www.cariegarrett.com.

Carmen Tekwe, Ph.D., Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) – 200 hour

Carmen’s yoga path began in January 2000 where she started practicing yoga to increase her flexibility as an athlete.  However, her love and passion for yoga did not develop until years later when she started practicing Bikram Yoga on a daily basis in 2008 at Bikram Yoga Williamsville in Buffalo, NY.  She was amazed by how therapeutic the yoga practice was on spiritual, physical and emotional levels.  She found her daily practice often helped her in managing her daily stress and decided to study the yoga path a bit further.  She credits her practice of yoga to helping her attain a certain level of confidence and calmness while finding her true voice.  She has studied yoga for several years and has been influenced by various teachers.  Her teachers include Becky Machado;  Roger and Albina Rippy of YogaOne Houston;  Yogi Ram, Yogi Omkar and Yogi Madhav of Arhanta Yoga in Khajuraho, India.  She has also taken several continuing education courses including courses with Forrest Yoga teachers Catherine Allen and Ann Hyde.   After being exposed to various forms and practices of yoga, she decided to study classical hatha yoga in India to learn more about the origins of yoga and how yoga can be integrated into one’s daily life.  This led her to an intensive yoga training of the Sivananda classical hatha yoga system in a gurukul system at Arhanta Yoga Ashram in Khajuraho, India.  She has a wide range of experience in teaching hot hatha yoga, vinyasa yoga, power yoga, gentle and restorative yoga, gentle yoga for seniors, pregnancy yoga and classical hatha yoga.  She currently teaches all levels of yoga based on the classical hatha yoga system and is delighted to share her passion and knowledge of yoga with fellow yogis and yoginis.

Lisa Hunter, Mat Pilates Instructor, Certified in Authentic Pilates, Quantum Biofeedback Alliance Certified Practitioner, Reiki Master

Services Offered: Quantum Biofeedback, Reiki, Pilates Mat Sessions

Lisa Hunter is a native of Fort Myers, Florida where she was born and raised until December 2010 upon moving to Bryan, Texas. She owned her own Pilates Studio in Fort Myers for several years and worked with other pilates teachers being trained in the same pilates method. Lisa received her training and certification from The Pilates Guild™ in 2001 from Fort Myers, Florida. She provides Authentic Pilates™ instruction, which includes over 600 hours of training and has studied under numerous teacher trainers from around the world, one of who is Romana Kryzanowska, Joseph Pilates’ protégé, who continues his legacy.

Her goals are to provide authentic pilates and quantum biofeedback treatments to help in connecting a healthy body, mind, and spirit.

Marnie Krajicek, BS in Education, Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), Certified Radiant Child Yoga Program 1 & 2, Reiki Practitioner

Services offered: Mommy & Me Yoga Class Series
Marnie began teaching yoga to kids and adults in 2005. She especially loves practicing with children as they teach her to slow down and be more playful. She is the full time mom of two daughters, Emma (age 12) and Isabella (age 2). They give her many opportunities to practice yoga on and off the mat.

Beverly McCue, Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT), Usui Reiki Master

Services Offered: Massage Therapy, Reiki

Beverly trained at and graduated in August 2008 from the Austin Schools of Massage Therapy and is certified in PNF Stretching (proprioceptive muscular facilitation). Beverly continues her massage therapy education through Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, and she specializes in various types of massage therapy: Swedish, Myofascial Release, Trigger Point, Deep Tissue and Neuromuscular Therapy, and Sports Massage. Beverly addresses the body with regard to structural alignment and posture, fascial restrictions, range of motion and lifestyle habits – all the while considering each client’s needs. Beverly is also a certified Reiki Master and can provide Reiki energy therapy treatments or combine with Reiki in her massages. Through client education, she has found the healing process to be faster and the client more empowered when he or she takes an active role in his or her own healing:

“I firmly believe that massage therapy, whether used as preventative medicine, or in conjunction with more traditional forms of healing, can allow the client to progress to higher levels of physical and emotional well being. Massage therapy gives the body a chance to release stress, pain and emotional fatigue. I believe, as a therapist, it is vital to provide optimal care by being able to recognize what the body needs and to treat it accordingly. I love helping and healing people with the power of touch. It gives me great satisfaction seeing my clients living healthier, happier lives because of the many benefits massage has to offer. I continue growing and learning about health and massage, so that I can offer my clients the latest advancements in the field. What I do as a massage therapist is life-changing for some people, and even life-saving for others. I’m not offering a service or product that you’re not going to benefit from, or that you’re going to regret using later on. What I’m offering people is the incredible opportunity to feel better, function better, and live better, without any drugs or work on their part. Your health and over all well being are very important to me.”

Andrea Merritt, Integrative Yoga Therapy Certified Teacher

Andrea Merritt has been living and practicing Yoga in College Station for 6 years. She lives joyfully as a Wife, Mom, Integrative Yoga Therapist, Organic Vegetable Grower and Private Vegetarian Cook. A native of The Great Lake State, Michigan, her passion for growing fresh food was born on local small farms and in her grandfather’s garden. Her studies in body awareness and mechanics started at age 3 with her first ballet class. Since childhood, she has explored many forms of body movement including Ballet, Modern Dance, Nia, and several schools of Yoga practice. She completed her 200-hour Integrative Yoga Therapy Teacher Training in December. She approaches life and teaching from a whole body perspective; believing that through the earth, water and soil we feed our bodies, through the grace of movement, breath and faith we feed our souls.

Nicole Parker, Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT), Reiki Practitioner

Nicole brings healing, comfort, and rejuvenation to each individual according to their needs! She graduated from Texas School of Massage in June of 2004 and is certified in Myofascial Release, Hot Stone, Trigger Point, Sports Massage and many other wonderful forms of clinical therapeutic applications. Massage benefits everyone in every lifestyle. As Nicole states: “I feel strongly that massage therapy can be a powerful ally in your healthcare regimen. Having massage therapy can do you a world of good, plus having a massage therapy treatment frequently can do even more. This is the beauty of bodywork. Taking part in this form of regularly scheduled self-care can play a huge part in how healthy you’ll be and how youthful you’ll remain with each passing year. And remember: just because massage feels like a pampering treat doesn’t mean it is any less therapeutic. Consider massage appointments a necessary piece of your health and wellness plan, and work with your practitioner to establish a treatment schedule that best meets your needs.”

Laura Root, Certified 200-Hour Hatha Yoga Instructor

Laura Root is a native of Bryan, where she practiced martial arts and gymnastics as a teen. After receiving her black belt in Taekwondo, she competed on the gymnastics team for Bryan High. She graduated from college at Texas State University with a BFA in Communication Arts, then worked in Austin as a graphic designer. She continued her graphic design career in Dallas, where she lived and worked for nine years. While in Dallas, she developed her love of yoga at the Dallas Yoga Center, and completed their 6 month, 200 hour certification program to become a hatha yoga instructor in 2009. Since then she has enjoyed teaching private lessons, and taught at LA Fitness in Duncanville for over a year. Now she is happy to be back in the Brazos Valley, close to family and friends and working at Texas A&M University. She lives with her husband, who has a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and her cat. She is passionate about the healing powers of yoga, and attributes it to helping in all aspects of life.

She most enjoys teaching beginners yoga, breaking down the poses and focusing on increasing balance, strength, and flexibility while deepening the breath and quieting the mind. Her hope is to set her students on the path toward a lifetime of good health and well-being through yoga.

Suzanne Droleskey, Certified American Tai Chi & Chi Gong Association Level II Instructor

Certified Level II Tai Chi Instructor, Dr. Suzanne Droleskey, began her interest in Tai Chi in 2003 when she saw a presentation of Tai Chi sword performed by the Chinese Student and Scholar Association at Texas A&M University. When she asked if anyone taught Tai Chi, the students told Droleskey that she could simply join them in their daily practice sessions. Just as with Tai Chi practiced all over the world, these informal gatherings took place outside, in a park. Droleskey joined the group and has been practicing Tai Chi ever since. Through lessons with various Chinese practitioners as well as several visiting Tai Chi masters, Droleskey has learned a number of Tai Chi forms and styles. Among these are the Yang and Chen styles and Tai Chi performed with a sword, a fan, and the sword with long tassel.

When asked now why she enjoys Tai Chi, Droleskey says, “Originally, I was attracted by the dance-like quality of it, but I never expected something so slow to be both mentally and physically challenging with the overall experience resulting in relaxation. From the practice of Tai Chi, not only am I physically stronger and more flexible, I have better balance, I lost weight, and I am better toned.”Droleskey began teaching Tai Chi at the request of the Director of the Confucius Institute at Texas A&M University. Indeed, her teaching at the Brazos Healing Center is done as a joint program with the Confucius Institute, where she also teaches Tai Chi classes. The Confucius Institute provides Chinese culture and language programs in Texas. About her teaching, Droleskey states, “I love teaching adult learners. It is fun to help them think through how to make the different moves and to adjust what I teach to their different learning styles and capability levels.” Droleskey indicated that some people are afraid to try Tai Chi because they think they don’t have the ‘athletic ability’ or ‘grace’ to manage it. “They don’t realize that Tai Chi was designed as a health management exercise and that the majority of practitioners world-wide are over age 50. Like anything, it takes practice to gain proficiency, but my students consistently tell me that after only a few weeks of doing Tai Chi, they can see gains towards their personal goals of improving, for example, strength, flexibility, or balance.”